Former President Joe Biden, who recently received a diagnosis of an aggressive form of prostate cancer, faces intensified scrutiny regarding his mental acuity and capability to serve as president. At 82 years old, Biden’s age has raised alarms among top Democrats and members of his inner circle, who have expressed serious doubts about his ability to fulfill the demands of the presidency.
As these criticisms increase, recent investigative reporting has raised questions about the scope of executive power during President Biden’s term. As reporters warned, the American public was left in the dark about who really had power in the White House. It is claimed that aides have kept Biden’s cognitive deterioration hidden from the public. This inquiry will focus on “who ran the United States while President Biden was in office,” raising critical questions about the legitimacy of his actions.
With each new crisis, Biden’s command over his own presidency grows more doubtful. His catastrophic debate performance should be ringing alarm bells as he prepares for 2024 primary challenges. In the end, Biden did withdraw from the race, and calls increased concerning what impact his health and mental acuity may have. Donald Trump, the former president and now Biden’s political opponent, has repeatedly said that what Biden is doing is illegal. He claims that aides are usurping presidential authority in order to mask Biden’s cognitive decline.
In just two years of his administration, Biden’s signature has been used thousands of times to bring about major policy changes. He signed noncontroversial executive actions with an autopen. This report begs even more questions about the legitimacy of those decisions. This kind of targeted investigation into Biden’s actions will almost certainly focus on the clemencies he laid on thick during the lame duck period of his presidency. Ed Martin, a former Department of Justice attorney, is currently considering these clemencies for family members and death row inmates.
Bill Clinton once remarked on Biden’s situation, stating, “The only concern I thought he had to deal with was: ‘Could anybody do that job until they were 86?’” This moment, no less difficult for its inevitability, serves to illuminate the difficult intersection of age, health, and political responsibility that Biden must thread.
Trump has characterized the ongoing investigation as “one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history,” emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability in leadership. He stated, “This conspiracy marks one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history.”
As these questions develop, millions of Americans continue to be alarmed by the propriety of presidential behavior. They do not lose an opportunity to criticize governance in general under Biden’s watch. The eventual result of each of these probes could have real ramifications for the national interest — both for political debate and for faith in our leaders.